


Love, Blood, And Bone

by Hartwin_Casualty (Cody_Thomas)



Series: The Old Gods And The New [2]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Gods, Blood Magic, Blood and Violence, Consort Eggsy Unwin, Deity Harry Hart, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Injury Recovery, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Harry Hart, Rape Recovery, Therapy, moderate angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-05-08 10:33:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14692389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cody_Thomas/pseuds/Hartwin_Casualty
Summary: Harry Hart had been a blood god since humanity had started spilling blood for the gods thousands of years ago.  But he's always been alone. Imagine his surprise then when his true devout, Lee, places his new infant son into Harry's arms to receive his blessing, and Harry feels that knowing spark of recognition, that his Consort has at last been born into this world.When Lee later falls in service, and Michelle barely survives a horrific attack that leaves her unable to care for their son, Harry knows what he must do. After all, Lee had named him Eggsy's godfather, and no, the irony of that was not lost on Harry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated with love to my dear Uvecheri, and to my good friend Naru897. You are both awesome!

He was currently Harry Hart, but he had been many things and many people over the course of his existence. There were three truths that he knew: Firstly, there was no Life without Love and Death. Secondly, every god was granted a consort and a true devout, most times they were different people, but they could sometimes, though rarely, be one in the same. All other followers, believers, and clergy must be earned on their own. And finally: humanity created its own gods, but the gods they created, developed their own preferred methods of worship. They were as diverse as their believers were but got along far better than their believers ever thought they did.

He was and had always been a blood god. Blood was honest, it was pure essence and energy, the sustaining life force of every worshiper and sacrifice he'd ever receive. He'd existed in various forms and under various titles since humanity had first started spilling blood in the name of the gods, though it would be millenia before his main purpose would manifest itself in humanity's hearts, and he would break away from the collective divine whole to become his own sole separate self. After several centuries, he eventually became known as a god of divine justice, justified death, and righteous retribution. Blood was a very large part of himself in such a role. He was a gallows god, punishing the wicked and preserving the righteous with the ultimate punishment. In the old days the gallows, the cross, the block, the pillory, and even the stake had all served as altars unto himself, but he only received power from them when the offering placed upon them was truly guilty.

He had been so disappointed when crimes became pettier and unfit of the punishments they bestowed. Crooked men accusing their neighbors of horrific crimes they hadn’t committed. The guillotine had been a beautifully elegant machine of death and 'justice', and for a time he had thought it would become his true symbol, until they had put it into use, and he shortly thereafter abandoned it fully, for at times it had only one truly guilty and deserving among a hundred who stained it with their blood. He refused to be associated with such a thing. It would only weaken him. The gallows had still been a staple, and then humanity had developed electricity, and the electric chair was quickly added to his list of altars.

But though he was very much a blood god, he was not a god of War. There was never any true justice in war, no matter what the generals and politicians said. Nothing could ever be just and righteous about innocents being sent off to be slaughtered while the guilty and the greedy lived on and asked, or convinced, or even forced others to fight and die for their egos, imaginary causes, and the benefit of their purse strings. It was against his very nature, he could never take anything from such a thing and make it his own.

 

For a time he nearly starved, he nearly faded out of the world there was such a lack of justice in it. And then, there was Leopold Unwin, a tailor of all things who was called to serve in the first Great War. Leo was the latest incarnation of his true devout, a high priest with such a strong sense of justice, morality, and loyalty, that he himself had grown strong in a way he had never been able to before. Then in the midst of the tragedies of The Great War, where so many sons had needlessly died, Leo not only survived, but built him a temple.

Leopold helped to found Kingsman, so that never again could bureaucracy and politics interfere from those wanting to do the right thing to protect those they loved, or to seek out true justice. The shadows became his mantle, the sideways K became his emblem, every agent they trained unknowingly became a priest or priestess for him, every bullet they fired was only ever done after intense consideration and planning, and for the right reasons, a prayer and an offering rolled into one. Eventually, he decided to take physical form, well a part of Himself at least.

He was Gerome Wiltsmore, David King, and Samuel Morton. Each form was fully corporeal, born and living as a mortal, his memories in the vessel kept subdued, but with the inborn destiny to eventually become an agent in the organization that made it stronger and better, inspiring others to stay the course through his deaths, and recruiting others to the cause. It was a page out of Odin’s book, sacrificing yourself to yourself in order to gain strength, but he did it for actual reasons that benefited others, not just to gain power for himself.

In those generations, Leo died and was reincarnated as his true devout thrice, always in the Unwin line, but not as a Kingsman. First as Matthew Unwin, who died fighting in the Korean war, then immediately came back as his nephew Gregory Unwin, who had died during The Troubles and been reincarnated as his youngest grandson, Lee Unwin.

 

Lee, quite by chance, at last returned to Kingsman, and never had a candidate researched the organization so thoroughly, learned its ins and outs and felt so at home within its walls as Lee did. Harry supposed it would rather feel like coming home in a way. Lee met him this time as Harry Hart, admittedly not another mortal vessel, but himself trying to appear as such, wanting to have his true Devout truly know and meet Him now that he was strong enough for it. To everyone else Harry Hart was labeled eccentric, but Lee, due to his position as his True Devout, could see right through him to what he really was. Lee noted how Kingsman unconsciously wound around him and his will, and for the first time, Harry had an active worshiper.

Lee would take orders from Arthur and Merlin without question, but before every assignment, before every trip, Lee would undoubtedly seek him out, and make his pledge. It was most times a silent thing, a nod of the head, a handshake, and one time in private when they were utterly alone, Lee had knelt before him and kissed his hand. The pledge was always the same, though usually silent, heard clearly all the same. “For you.”

Lee had never been much of a religious man. Though he somehow saw the truth of Harry and understood what he was, he didn't pray, he didn't grovel or seek favor, or ask for boons, he simply dedicated his life, whole and complete, to Harry's service and whatever Harry needed him for. Every mission was in service to Him, every bullet a prayer, every life claimed with those metal and fire prayers a blood sacrifice to Harry that gave him strength and life. Lee was glorious.

 

Harry blessed Lee for his service to him. He had no control over happiness or love, but was friends with many the deity who did. They helped Him grant Lee a loving wife and even a child, a boy, who the moment he was two months old, Lee invited Harry over to the Unwin house while his wife was out visiting her mother. Harry was given a bottle of the best wine, a fine home cooked meal, and desserts that would have charmed any deity of the hearth, cooking, or gluttony. He too was charmed.

After dinner, Lee fetched the infant, knelt before him, and placed the babe in his arms. “For you.” He said as solemn and meaningful as ever, dedicating the infant to be raised in the ways of Kingsman, to one day follow in his father’s footsteps, and to be taught how also to best serve Harry as well. But Lee couldn't have known what it was that Harry felt as the child lay quietly in his arms, the knowing, the recognition, the swell of love he felt in his heart.  _ Consort, Beloved, Finally _ . It had been so long, he had wondered if perhaps he would not ever get to meet them. He kissed the babe on the forehead, pressed his own power and knowledge into the child's heart, and his seal of protection over the boy, and whispered his true name into the sleeping infant's ear, along with the knowledge that should he ever have need of him, he had only to ask and Harry would come, he would always,  _ always _  come.

 

Five years later, Lee was killed protecting Harry on a mission gone bad in the middle east. All of your deities blessings and protections mean nothing when you go and willingly sacrifice yourself for him and dedicate your death and life force to that Deity. The power boost Lee’s final ‘For You’ gave Harry was incredible, his first truly willing sacrifice. It all but drove him to his knees with its strength. And while he knew his true devout would undoubtedly return yet again later on down the line, he was for the first time starkly aware of the family that Lee had left behind.

He took the medal of valor to the family personally, and that was all it was supposed to be, a medal, a handshake, a thank you, and a curtain of discretion and secrecy that remained firmly in place. It was seeing the boy that made him offer the boys' mother an actual  _ boon _ . Lee himself had certainly never asked for one, so it seemed fitting that the family get one in Lee's stead. Wealth, a job, security for herself and her son, Harry was feeling very generous towards the Unwins that day, and would let the request be whatever would most help the family. He was not prepared however for his gift to be rejected flat out by Lee's widow. Lee would have been mortified at his wife's actions, though Harry knew she was reacting out of grief and not sense, Lee would have been embarrassed all the same.

Still, nothing ever came of forcing one's will on the unwanting, so instead Harry simply nodded in acceptance, and took the medal over to the boy. The young one had been staring at him since he arrived, but had behaved himself admirably while the adults talked.

“Hello young man, what's your name?”

“Eggsy.”

“Hello Eggsy. I'm Harry Hart.”

“Hi.”

“Do you understand why I'm here?”

The boy shook his head. Harry placed a spark of understanding into his touch as he accepted the snowglobe the boy had offered to him in an attempt to make him smile. Harry smiled for the boy's benefit.

“Your father worked with me, and I'm here because your father was a great man and a hero, and we want to give your family a gift because he was so brave. Your father earned this medal, and I'm giving it to you since he can't accept it. It comes with a promise Eggsy, should you ever need help, call the number on the back, and say 'Galahad', and what you need, and I will help you with whatever it is. You have my promise Eggsy, whatever it is, whatever you need, whenever you need it, I will always come, your very own knight in shining armor, alright?”

Eggsy surprised him then, got up and hugged him around the neck. 'Okay. Don't be sad, it hurts.'

Harry hugged him back, this precious and bright little soul that is like a soothing balm to him, he would do anything to protect this young life. “I'm not sad, I'm just wishing that I could do more for you, dear boy. Be brave, and take care of your mum alright?”

 

It was a gentle parting, same as before, but Harry found it surprisingly difficult to leave the boy while he's grieving, his instincts to comfort and protect are not quick to abate, but it would not be proper to do so since the boy does not know him, and Michelle only knows him as her dead husband’s boss, though he knows that Lee had also named Harry as the boy’s godfather should anything happen to him. The irony of that is not lost of Harry.

With the boon rejected, there is only one other way he can help the family, since Chester is being a selfish prat as usual and trying to delay Lee’s pension from going through. Harry puts a stop to that immediately, and in addition to it, He adds his own wages to it. He has never had need of his monthly stipend, most of it sitting in the bank untouched since he's owned the mews house for three incarnations now, and had the bills paid for at least the next hundred years. And so, he makes sure that both reach the Unwin family as Lee's service pension, divided three quarters for Michelle, and one quarter to Eggsy in a trust fund, as well as the life insurance policy that they were due.

He discreetly keeps an eye on the Unwin family, the money is more than enough to get them out of the estates and to a better part of town. Nothing ridiculously fancy, but it’s a nice flat and a good school. Eggsy enrolls in gymnastics and is soon winning competitions. Harry either goes himself to the bigger meets, or manages to place one of the support staff there in surveillance missions, with strict instructions to observe and record all of the participants, under the pretense of scouting for future agency talent. Each gymnast has a docket, but it’s only Eggsy’s that Harry has any interest in. Eggsy is brilliant, and it’s apparent that he’s happy, and that is enough for Harry.

 

Three years later, at two in the morning, The connection Harry had to Eggsy is pulled so hard and so fast it jerks him out of a solid sleep, with Eggsy’s terrified cries for help still ringing in Harry’s ears. He abandons his corporeal form and follows the connection he has to the boy, and what he sees makes his blood run cold. Blood. There is so much blood, and Michelle is screaming as loudly as Eggsy is.

A robbery and rape gone wrong. Eggsy had startled the burglar, who stabbed Michelle in the gut. Right in the liver. Harry divided off a part of his consciousness to track down those who would harm ones under his protection while the rest of himself was still with Eggsy, once again corporeal as he performed field first aid and made sure the ambulance arrived to take them to the hospital.  

The blood was easy to follow, the stain on the perpetrators’ hands still bright and vivid. An addict looking for things to hawk, and seeing the opportunity to take something else he felt he’d been too long without. But he hadn’t meant to kill her, there had been so much blood. He hadn’t wanted to be a murderer, he couldn’t get the sobbing child out of his head. And he wouldn’t either, because Harry haunted him. He could have driven the perpetrator mad easily enough, made him kill himself, but that wouldn’t have given anyone the justice or closure needed. Instead Harry kept him too distracted for drugs, made the idea of food nauseating, the possibility of sleep impossible, and nightmares the only thing he’d see if he did manage it. The words ‘murderer’, and ‘confess’ kept swarming through his head in a ceaseless taunt. Prison would be his only relief, his only escape. The man would turn himself in four days later.

It had been a close call with Michelle before the ambulance arrived, but field medicine was no stranger to him at all, and if his powers couldn’t even keep someone from bleeding out, well then he was a piss poor excuse of a blood deity in the first place. Blood was his element. When he said so, it stayed right where he wanted it to. It had taken four hours sitting in the waiting room with the boy, waiting for news about Michelle’s surgery, before Eggsy actually realized he was there, and scared as he was, the boy still recognized him.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“You called for help, did you not? I told you I would always answer.”

Eggsy didn’t understand, not really, still young enough to believe in things like magic and miracles without question. His instincts drove him straight into Harry’s arms, sobbing with a mixture of fear and relief. Harry closed his eyes and relished the feeling of his consort accepting him, craving his comfort, and trusting him to make things better. He let his power settle around the boy like a warm and comforting blanket. Justice, strength, belief, Harry’s strengths gradually seeped into Eggsy. And while he could easily tend the spark for retribution that Eggsy was feeling, he wouldn’t let the desire for vengeance touch Eggsy. That way lay madness, and it was a road he would never let tempt Eggsy if he had anything to say about it.

 

The eight year old child in his arms reminded him of another problem they faced. Michelle would be in hospital for quite some time, and Eggsy would need cared for.

“Your mother will take a long time to get better, Eggsy. Would you like to stay with me? Or perhaps there’s another relative you wish to stay with?” Harry didn’t have any sort of family tree handy, but was relatively certain there were a handful of cousins, at least one set of grandparents, and an uncle still nearby. Eggsy shook his head violently.

“You. Wanna stay with you. You’re… safe.”

“Yes Eggsy, you are very safe with me, safer than you can possibly know. Very well, let’s get it all cleared and official then.”

The staff at the hospital finally noticed Harry too, and while predictably wary at first, Eggsy never missed a beat, smiling, clinging to his arm, and calling him ‘Uncle Harry’ like he’d been doing it all his life.

“More of a third cousin once removed really, but his father and I were close, practically brothers. He named me Eggsy’s godfather." Lee may have been dead, and Michelle had not filled out any paperwork at all, but was in no state to ask. Child protective services had far better things to do than to get involved where a child had a safe place to go with legal paperwork to back it up.

 

Once the red tape was navigated, and the child checked over for things like shock and trauma, Eggsy was bundled up into a cab and taken to Harry’s home, having decided they could fetch the boy’s things in the morning. He set up his charge in the guest bedroom, and made sure Eggsy had a good shower and at least one of Harry’s t-shirts to sleep in, since the pajamas he’d gone to the hospital in had been soaked through with his mother’s blood, and were currently in a biohazard bag back at the hospital. The staff had given him a pair of child sized scrubs, a robe, and little non-slip socks for his bare feet. A warm cup of tea, half a sandwich, and a quick brush of teeth later, and Eggsy was nodding off fast just from sheer exhaustion. Harry tucked the precious boy into bed, left the hall light on and the door open a crack should the lad need anything in the night, and then went to bed himself.

Years of well honed skills were the only thing which kept him from immediately going for one of the three guns within easy reach of where he was lying down when he sensed the door opening. Eggsy dashed into Harry’s room and onto the bed, crying and reaching for the safety and protection that he could instinctively feel from Harry. Harry soothed the boy, and even let him curl up on the unused side of Harry’s bed. The boy fell back to sleep in minutes, and Harry didn’t have the heart to wake him up again.

He was unused to sharing his personal space, but Eggsy was perfectly welcome there beside him, and it made him happy at how at ease the boy felt with him. He tucked the boy under the covers a bit tighter and turned out the light. “Good night Eggsy.”

Harry woke to a tiny body curled up against him, Eggsy’s back pressed tightly against his side and curled around Harry’s arm. All Harry could do at the sight was smile that his future consort gravitated towards him, even in sleep, knowing he was safe, and willing to trust. Harry was content playing human security blanket to Eggsy for awhile longer, though turning the pages of his book with only one hand was challenging. It was about half an hour later that Eggsy woke up, and didn’t try moving away at all other than for the brief moment it took him to take stock of where he was, and then Eggsy taking a deep breath of relief as he remembered where he was.

“Is she going to live?” Eggsy asked in a tiny and scared voice a few minutes later, still facing away and holding Harry’s arm a bit tighter. “I don’t want her to die like Daddy did.”

Harry sat up in bed, set the book aside, and pulled Eggsy into a warm and tight hug. “She’s not going to die Eggsy. I made very sure of it. But it will take her a very long time to get better and be able to look after you on her own again. You’re going to have to be very brave for her alright?”

Eggsy nodded and Harry couldn’t resist placing a tender kiss on the top of Eggsy’s head. “It’s going to be alright Eggsy, I promise you. Anything you could ever need all you have to do is ask me and if it is within my power it is yours.”

For two months Eggsy lived with Harry, and after a week of settling in and adjusting schedules around, Eggsy fit into Harry’s life seamlessly, as if he had never lived anywhere else. They visited Michelle twice a day while she was in hospital, in the morning and at night. While she hadn’t seemed worried about Harry suddenly showing up out of the blue or taking care of her son, she didn’t seem to be overly concerned about how her son was doing in general. But then Michelle wasn’t aware of much at all these days. Michelle lived, but she didn’t recover. She had suffered a traumatic mental breakdown, and was nearly catatonic. Eggsy was utterly heartbroken, which wouldn't do at all.

 

The beauty of the internet allowed connectivity on a scale that had never been achieved before, and deities of technology had taken full advantage. There were websites now for their kind, if one knew where to look. Message boards and chat rooms, even the start of some online communities where deities could meet and exchange ideas, friendship, and even seek out help and trade favors. It was far easier than organizing the once a century meet up. Harry had even brought one of the best technology gods on board to work for Kingsman to enhance their security. Merlin had done wonders for them over the years and had happily carved out his own little niche of followers inside the organization, and Harry had been happy to let him. Now he needed help again, because he didn't personally know any deities of the mind arts.

Favors from deities you didn't know well were no small thing to ask. Not to mention that except in rare cases, blood deities didn't tend to get on very well with anyone in the healing arts, their natures were rather opposite to each other after all. But if it insured that Eggsy didn't lose his mother, then it was a price that Harry was willing to pay.

It took awhile to find what he needed, someone who could heal or manipulate the brain and the mind however they wished. Surprisingly there was one right there in London, who had taken on the form of a young and brilliant neurosurgeon. Once he found her it took even longer to convince her he was serious in asking for her help in healing a mortal woman. For months she remained unconvinced he was sincerely asking. Finally he was forced to admit why he truly wanted the favor. That his Consort had already lost his father, and he'd barely managed to save the boy's mother. He couldn't bear for his Consort to lose his mother while he was still so very young, not even to death, but to her own traumas and monsters. The mind arts were not his talent, or he would just do it himself, and so he needed her help.

The goddess immediately warmed up to him more, helping a deity's consort tended to be very beneficial to the one who had lent the aide, and she was a very young minor deity with only a handful of followers, whereas Harry was far older and stronger.

It was up to her what she felt was adequate recompense for her help, and honestly a building to set up her own private practice that was protected by a god of divine justice’s seal, it was pocket change to what she could have asked for. But then again, she was very young and it was most likely the first time she had been seriously asked for a favor at all. Harry would take his blessings where he could get them.

 

Her current name was Alcina, and she met Harry at the hospital in the long term care ward while Eggsy was ‘visiting’ his mother. Mostly by staying curled up beside her and reading a book to her or watching telly.

“How old is he?”

“Eight, nearly nine.”

“And he already knows you? That’s extraordinary.”

“His father was my True Devout, he made me the boy’s godfather.”

She laughed with good humor. “Did he have even the slightest inkling of what he was doing?”

“He understood who I was, saw the truth of me and was an active worshipper. He knew that I would protect the boy with my entire self when he asked that I protect him, but I doubt he understood that the boy was truly meant to be mine. Michelle must have something truly special about her to bring her soul so close to my divinity through both her husband and her son. There is more she has yet to do in this world, and I won’t have that destiny destroyed by a greedy and disgusting man with a knife and a desire to hurt others because he feels powerless.” He stared at the woman and her son, her eyes unfocused on anything. “Please be honest with me, is this something that is within your power to fix?”

Alcina stared at the woman hard, seeing into her.

“She broke badly at the loss of her husband and she doesn’t have the strongest will. She would have gone down a very dark path if you hadn’t interceded. She had barely gotten her feet back under her when this happened, and her will is broken. She thinks she’s already dead or dying, and needs something to live for.”

“Her son-”

“You can’t just try and live for others, it can backfire. That's what she had been doing before this happened. Living for the boy to make sure she kept going, pushing herself to her limits without dealing with her grief. She had already begun sliding losing that stable grip. But now she's too broken to even try and focus on him as a source of strength. He's a drain on her strength. She needs a reason to exist for herself as well. Her son is very young, and children need a lot of time and energy that she just can’t provide to him. Not now, maybe never again. It all depends on how she heals. It’s impossible to give of yourself to others when you have nothing left inside of you even for yourself. I won’t lie to you, this will not be an easy thing to do, but I think I can manage.”

Waking her out of her catatonic state wasn’t the issue, that was done in the next half hour, and Eggsy was overjoyed, holding and kissing his mum, crying in happiness that she was still with him, but she didn’t embrace him back, and when Harry looked deep into her mind and heart, she was all but numb and hollow inside.

It took another six months for Alcina to make any headway at all with Michelle, and in that time Harry purchased a modest medical facility and set his seal of protection over it, but the deed wouldn’t be handed over until Michelle had recovered. As promised it was slow, but progress is still progress.

Alcina all but made Michelle her personal mission. She was fond of the woman, and just as Harry had learned already, Michelle was entirely without close friends or even much family after her husband had died. That had sparked more than a hint of interest on the young deity's part. Harry understood, every deity could appreciate and long for what was essentially a blank slate just looking to be given a purpose, but as Michelle healed, it became apparent that she was not destined to be one of Alcina’s followers, she just didn’t have the temperament for healing. He very much doubted she would be his follower either, but that was fine. As long as she was able to heal and find her way, he was satisfied.

 

Gradually Michelle after about a  year she was able to function on her own again, but if she was going to fully recover, she couldn’t walk around in a numb haze all the time, she had to feel something.

It was the only time Alcina asked Harry for his assistance. Harry stoked anger, justice, and vengeance inside of Michelle, all of it aimed at the attacker, just as a spark to get things moving. Other things could come later, milder, gentler, and kinder emotions, but as a very good friend of his had once told him, “Anger gets shit done”.

Once she had something to follow, a goal to pursue, Michelle was ruthless in that pursuit, because it was letting her feel something again, which her body and mind both craved, a way out and away from the numb haze, and that was good. What surprised him was the direction her focus took. It wasn’t the anger and vengeance she focused on, it was the Justice. Not just for herself, but anyone who had been attacked in such a manner. She pursued the man who attacked her first, but finding him already in jail for having pled guilty, she went after others. Justice became her driving force. She rather left everything else behind, even Eggsy, and started focusing on herself for the first time in her life. She went back to school, pursued a law degree, and specialized in women’s advocacy and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Law school completely consumed her, reforged her, gave her a purpose and a will as strong as iron. Harry was surprised to learn that to some degree, possibly because he had been the one to spark it inside of her, that drive she had strengthened him in turn and acted sort of as a low key form of worship. While she pursued Justice as far down the road as it would take her, the rest of her emotions slowly came back to her one by one. When Alcina said that everything else was up to Michelle, Harry handed over the deed to Alcina and thanked her for her help.

 

Eggsy meanwhile clung to Harry, and supported his mother’s choices as best he could, but there was no questioning that he didn't really understand, missed her greatly, and felt more than a bit abandoned. So Harry helped by giving Eggsy a different path, letting him pursue gymnastics with a single minded focus and absolutely no barriers in the way. If it needed arranged, Harry handled it, and even went with Eggsy to his competitions as a chaperone, not trusting the coaches alone to supervise that many children in a foreign city or country. Nothing would ever hold his future consort back, Harry would lay the world at Eggsy’s feet if he wished it. He also remained a constant presence at the boy’s side. He would never let Eggsy feel that he was alone or unwanted, and squashed those doubts fiercely whenever they surfaced. He also had the lad attend counseling sessions to deal with what he had seen and gone through, both with the attack as well as the death of his father, and his now strained and distant relationship with his mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy and Harry grow closer, and not everyone is happy about that.

About four years after the incident, Michelle finally regained her focus beyond herself, and tentatively allowed herself to feel the more nurturing and soft feelings that had once been the center of her personality. Eggsy was twelve when Michelle finally started to allow them to grow close again, but it wasn’t easy. And not just with Eggsy almost a teenager now going through puberty, and Michelle having missed the huge transitional parenting period between, which left her struggling to catch up. Eggsy had been very hurt and scared back then, Michelle had not been there, had in fact shut him out and all but abandoned him completely. Had Harry not been there, it wouldn’t have turned out well at all, and those feelings and memories still remained sharp and hard.

Try as Harry had to prevent that anger and resentment from welling up in the lad, Eggsy felt how he felt, and often began to fight with Michelle horribly, to the point that Eggsy would leave the house after calling Harry and asking him to pick him up, refusing to stay there in the house with her, preferring the peace of Harry’s house, and Harry’s company over his mother’s. 

Michelle resented Harry to a degree, but couldn’t deny that she hadn’t been there. Harry had stolen nothing, he had merely been there. Eggsy had simply realized that his mother was not someone he could count on for what he needed physically or emotionally, and he had let her go more than Harry had thought he had. Apparently Eggsy viewed her trying to suddenly step back into the role of parent as both trying to control him, and patronizing with how she spoke to him. The both of them were also strongly stubborn and not likely to give in to the other. So the fighting continued.   


Family counseling was sought as an option to help mend some fences and try to heal the rift between them at Harry’s suggestion. Eggsy was still seeing a therapist at least once every two weeks, and was comfortable with the opening up and sharing his true thoughts and feelings aspect of it all by then. Michelle was just starting out with therapy, having refused even the mention of it at every turn for years, no matter how much Harry had tried to convince her otherwise. Michelle was decidedly not comfortable being open and vulnerable to anyone, and took Eggsy’s blunt and open honesty about how he was feeling very badly as a direct insult or attack against her. After three extremely frustrating months, she quit the family therapy in anger and frustration, even though she was later convinced to continue it for herself. 

It became clear shortly thereafter that that had been the final straw for Eggsy. Even if she decided to try again in the future with family counseling, it was too late, she had missed her opportunity. Eggsy once more felt abandoned by her, and therefore had closed the door to his relationship with his mother in order to protect himself, since it only ever seemed to hurt him. Even if he decided to open it again at some point in the future, there would always be a degree of separation between them now. Eggsy was already at the age where he had realized that he didn’t need her to look after him that way anymore. He could look after himself in a lot of ways, and Harry had made sure that he knew how to be independent. 

Eggsy had a team, and a career, and a steadfast supportive figure in the form of Harry by that point, and had been managing just fine without her for years now. After the realization that he didn’t much need or care to be parented, and neither of them had the time or care to bridge the wall that had been built between them, Eggsy left nearly everything else behind and solely focused on his own things. He threw himself into his training, no longer expecting or caring if Michelle was involved in his life or not. He had a goal, and was determined to reach it.   


Harry had been strongly tempted to get in contact with Alcina again and see if there was something she could do to maybe bridge the gap and bring the two close again, but that was likely getting too close to interfering with a mortal’s free will. Eggsy wouldn’t have trusted it anyway if Michelle had suddenly become affectionate with him and more involved in his life again, not with how the status quo had been for so long, and still holding some resentment on how he had for the most part just been left behind without thought or care. He was proud of her achievements, as she was proud of his, but it was almost as if Eggsy had grown up and ‘moved out’. 

 

~~~

Harry had long ago helped Eggsy get corporate sponsors, including Kingsman Tailors of course, who provided him with a whole wardrobe of gorgeous bespoke suits that Harry had made himself, with the bullet proof fabric naturally. His future consort was to be protected always. That along with etiquette training made sure that Eggsy was always at the height of fashion and fully prepared for interviews, sponsorship meetings, and dinners. Harry had personally trained Eggsy in all of the social graces that one would need to be able to function in high society, including dancing, and had the lad accompany him whenever possible to Kingsman functions as well. The young lad easily charmed the ladies of society, and made fast friends with Percival and Lancelot’s niece, Roxy.

Eggsy had a private coach that started seriously training him towards becoming true Olympic potential, a technical assistant to record every practice, every meet, and make sure that Eggsy was learning what he needed to correct and work on. He had a personal trainer, dance instructor, even a physical therapist, and a massage therapist. Harry even arranged for a private tutor that traveled with Eggsy, since traditional schooling interfered with his gymnastics. Proper education was something that Harry was adamant about and allowed no shirking on. 

One way or another, a professional athlete’s career tended to die out at a young age, and rarely lasted very far past thirty in the gymnastics world, far earlier in women's than in men's, but the fact remained that it was not considered a lifelong career especially not professional competing. So he wanted to make sure that Eggsy had connections that would provide a wealth of options for subjects he’d be interested in pursuing, and jobs that would interest him, should his abilities or interests change. Harry was of course willing to make sure Eggsy never needed to work a day in his life if he didn’t want to. But the boy was much too active to remain idle for long, and enjoyed being involved in several activities and charities.

It never failed that at some point during a trip, Eggsy would undoubtedly make his way into Harry’s room and curl up with Harry, usually the day before the competition when he was nervous, or any time after he had a bad day during a practice or meet, unable to fall asleep any other way. Harry cherished those times. Even when they were at home in London, Eggsy stayed with Harry about three quarters of the week or more, because the gym he used was much closer to Harry’s house, or he escaped there whenever Michelle had an upcoming exam or paper that she needed to study for. Harry made sure that Eggsy had his own room which was decorated to his preferences, as well as a spare room that was a home gym for Eggsy’s use, but the lad inevitably still spent some nights curled up next to Harry. His presence pressed up beside Harry while watching a movie together was a given fact of the universe.

Kingsman didn’t notice Harry’s extended absences since he often made a double of himself which could fill in for him, or he took small missions in the same cities or countries that Eggsy was training or competing in. He had made sure that they expanded the Table, took on over a dozen more agents to cover the workload, and whenever needed, he manipulated things with Merlin’s assistance, until Harry was able to focus on making sure that Eggsy remained happy and strong, and was allowed to become whatever he wanted to be. Since Eggsy wanted to be an Olympian, Harry made sure that he had every opportunity to become one.

 

At thirteen, Eggsy qualified for Worlds, and Harry took a long vacation in order to be there to support Eggsy however needed. He provided tickets to Michelle as well, for her to join them after her Barrister’s examination. Everything was fine for the three days before the competition, and then on Eggsy’s first routine, rings, he slipped and fell, wrenching his knee badly, but he wouldn’t let it stop him. He got straight back on the rings and finished his routine, even though his knee was already visibly swelling and turning purple by that point. He didn’t have the cleanest landing, and the medics were there immediately to whisk him away and treat him when he couldn’t make it off the floor under his own power. 

Either way, Eggsy didn’t place, and thankfully it wasn’t any more serious than a really bad sprain, but Eggsy was extremely depressed about it regardless, while Harry just informed him that he was a badass for getting back up there while injured. Eggsy tried to argue that he could still do parallel bars and horse, but the doctor nixed that idea immediately, said he was lucky he hadn’t torn a ligament or dislocated his knee, and refused to clear him for participation, or let him put weight on it for three weeks. She threatened an extra three weeks if Eggsy kept arguing with her.

Harry ordered ridiculous amounts of pizza, soda, ice cream, and cheap and delicious Chinese food to drown their sorrows in that night, and even let Eggsy have a small sip of his whiskey, but Eggsy hated the taste and called Harry crazy for liking to drink it on the regular. They curled up on the couch together under a blanket because the ice he had to pack his knee with was making him shiver, and they watched movies until two in the morning, and eventually fell asleep that way, Eggsy curled against Harry’s side as usual. 

 

Harry slightly roused when he heard the door to the room open, but could tell it was Michelle and drifted back off, assuming she was going to the adjoining room next door. Eggsy moved to nuzzle closer. Harry smiled a bit, pressed a kiss to Eggsy’s head, and stroked over his arm and back until he drifted off again and Harry did the same.

Eggsy stirred a bit with a whimper, obviously in pain after his pills had worn off. Harry stroked his hair to soothe him and pressed a kiss to his head. “Shhhh Luv, it’s alright, let’s get some more food and meds in you.” 

He disentangled the young teenager, who had the tendency to cling like an octopus when given free reign, and helped lay him out flat on the couch, propping a couple cushions under his leg, removing the now melted ice pack so he could replace it. Harry had thankfully had the wherewithal to clean up the food the previous night before they crashed, and he fixed Eggsy a small plate of food so he could take his pills without consequences until they got down to the lobby for a proper breakfast. But when he came back into the living room with plate, pills, water, and a fresh ice pack, Michelle had positioned herself in a chair near Eggsy’s head and had a fierce look on her face. 

 

“Michelle? Is something wrong? Did the exam not go well?” Harry asked, concerned.

“It went fine. Here, I’ll do that.” she said, reaching for the ice pack instead of the food. 

“No need for you to move, just help him sit up so that he can get this all down. His tutor is coming in… one hour, but I doubt Eggsy will be up for it. This stuff the hospital gave him tends to make him quite groggy, and he isn’t able to perform the other events, but he still wants to support the rest of his team. So we need to leave by eight for practice.” He replied, handing her the plate, pills, and drink. 

Eggsy was slow to rouse, and in a lot of pain when he tried to move his leg, but they got him seated, fed, and medicated. Harry got ready for the day while Eggsy ate, and when Harry was done Eggsy made it to the bathroom on his crutches all on his own for his own wash up without any assistance needed, intending to continue icing the knee when he got back out. Harry just nodded and left him to it, Eggsy had no problem asking for help if he needed it. Once the shower was running though Michelle rounded on Harry with a snarl.

“What the FUCK do you think you are doing with my son?!” she growled.

“I beg your pardon?” Harry asked with no small amount of confusion.

“Don’t play dumb with me, I saw you wrapped around him, kissing him, stroking his arm while he was asleep! He’s thirteen! You will get out of this hotel room right now, you ped-”

“Stop. You  _ really _ don’t want to say another word right now, and especially not about that. Because you are about to say something not only entirely inaccurate and hurtful, but something harmful to Eggsy, which I will not allow. I have  _ never _ been inappropriate with Eggsy in any way, I couldn’t because I would rather die than to allow an atom of harm to come to that boy, and such a thing as that causes untold oceans of harm. 

If he has a bad day or he’s scared, we cuddle, yes, because it is contact that he finds comfort in. It is something he has initiated since you were in the hospital, and I am willing to let it continue for as long as he is comfortable with it or finds solace and comfort in it. You have not so much as hugged, kissed, or held your child since you were hurt. He hugged and kissed you, but you have never returned the affection since your recovery. He noticed because he knows about consent, and left you alone to respect your space and sought out that contact from me instead, which I am happy to provide. 

Humans are social creatures, Michelle, they need physical affection and attention from the people they care about. So do not taint the only physical affection your son has sought out in the last five years by viewing it through the lens of what happened to you. He’s been thoroughly educated by both me and his tutor about sex, consent, as well as the differences between good and bad touching, sexual assault, and all the ways a predator can try to coerce others into doing what they want. Because after seeing what happened to you, he had a multitude of questions you were not there to answer, and I did not withhold any information from him. 

If you really suspect me of having done something to Eggsy, then go ahead and ask him. Ask him any awful fear that you have swimming around in your head, but don’t be surprised if you then have to answer the questions of why you are asking in the first place, and don’t be surprised if he’s angry, because he is very protective over the people he loves. Also, don’t ever try to kick me out of his life for something I didn’t do. 

Now, I am going to go down to the lobby to fetch the wheelchair I had delivered so that he doesn’t have to hobble around with those crutches, contact his tutor, order a cab that can accommodate a wheelchair, find out what the breakfast buffet has on offer, and get more ice for his knee. I will not expect an apology from you, but I DO expect you to get your head on straight and learn the entire facts of a situation before making any sort of accusations or projecting your experiences on others again, or you will not do well in your newly chosen profession. Good morning madam.” He said and left the room.

 

Harry understood that she had fears and triggers and traumas that she was still working through and he was trying his best to be patient when they arose. But the anger that she would think for a moment that he would ever intentionally hurt Eggsy… that curl of fury was not easy to subdue, so he left before he could act on it and do something he would regret. When he returned forty minutes later, Eggsy was dressed, and there was a distinctly heightened state of tension in the air between him and his mother. She had obviously asked after all, but unlike Harry himself, Eggsy did not have especially good control of his impulses over what came out of his mouth, especially when he was angry. Eggsy had obviously not been kind in his words, but didn’t look like he was willing to talk about it, so Harry pretended like he didn’t notice anything amiss.

“They have an omelette, pancake, and waffle bar, and about fifty types of toppings and add ins for it. Let me just bag this ice, and we can head out. Your tutor is going to meet us at the gym.”

“Sounds great. Mum’s gonna stay here and rest. The exam and the long trip really exhausted her, so it’s just you and me today since I’m not competing.” Eggsy said, getting up quickly, plunking himself into the wheelchair and positioning his crutches, while Harry grabbed his gym bag. He knew the boy would still stretch and workout what he could, even with an incapacitated knee.

“Alright. They serve breakfast downstairs until eleven, Michelle. There’s leftovers in the fridge, and feel free to order room service. We should be coming back around six. Have a good day.”

“You too.” She replied quietly, and ushered them out the door. 

 

That day and the next morning were a little bit tense, as Eggsy hadn’t stayed in the attached double room he was going to share with his mother that night. Instead he had camped on Harry’s couch with his leg propped up, saying it was easier for him to get on and off the couch than in and out of the beds, which Harry knew was a lie, but was willing to let it slide. 

“You have to speak to her again at some point you know. She is your mother and you do live with her, and whether you want to admit it or not right now, you love her very much.” He said as he pushed Eggsy’s wheelchair towards the lift the next morning.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you know what she said! What she insinuated!”

“I do know, because she accused me first. Experiences like what happened to her have a terrible tendency of coloring your perspective. Everyone becomes a potential threat, every move has a double meaning, every word they speak is another lie, until the victim is left constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. For some, no good thing can happen without being doubted, questioned, and over analyzed after that until it is thoroughly sabotaged. The most innocent actions become warped and twisted in their minds and they cannot see the truth before them anymore. But you shouldn’t hate her for thinking she saw a threat to her child and trying to intervene, Eggsy. What if it had been true? What if there was a threat from an adult that had power and control over you and you couldn’t speak, but she never noticed and she never asked, or worse yet she never believed you? That would be a far worse outcome I assure you. There are some terrible people in this world that do some awful things, but the problem is that they look just like everyone else. There is no way of knowing good from evil at a single glance, which can be especially frightening to someone who has seen the ugliness of the world first hand. So today we are going to your practice, and we are going to cheer on your team at Worlds, and then we are going to get your mother a box of chocolates and some flowers and take her out to dinner tonight, and you two are going to make up. Understood?”

“Yes, Harry.”

“Good. “ He said and kissed the top of Eggsy’s head while they waited for the lift doors to open. And that is exactly what they did. Things were a bit strained between Harry and Michelle after that but Harry never let it affect Eggsy, and things returned to normal for them.

Eggsy was seventeen when he participated in his first Olympics, he didn’t end up medalling in most events, coming in fifth on floor, fourth on parallel bars, horse, and horizontal bar, and earning the bronze on rings and vault. Harry was exceedingly proud of him, and the two bronze medals only drove Eggsy harder. He was DETERMINED to win gold next time.

Michelle was in court during it, winning another case, but she saw the videos they posted to her every night, and she couldn’t have been more proud. Eggsy graduated with honors, he was pursuing his dreams, and most importantly to Harry, he was happy. 

Kingsman called back Harry’s time and attention for awhile, big bad things were happening in the world that they needed to stay ahead of. Eggsy had never had full confirmation of what exactly it was that Harry did for a living, but he was a clever boy and had seen some things over the past decade and had most likely figured it out, or at least suspected. His ringtone for Harry was the James Bond theme for chrissakes, the cheeky little brat.

 

Eggsy was still seventeen when his mother met George, a financial planning solicitor who worked in another firm that was adjacent to the one she worked in. They hit it off very well and began seriously dating within two weeks of meeting each other. After ten months they were living together, there was a proposal six months after that, and a year later there was a wedding. They meshed in a way Michelle had thought she would never get to have again after Lee had died, and the honeymoon didn’t seem to stop. 

Two years later Michelle had a baby, a little girl they named Daisy, and Harry had never before seen Eggsy instantly fall in love at the sight of someone before, but he fell so hard for that baby, Harry knew that she would have the best big brother ever. Eggsy was twenty at that point, almost twenty-one, and he had moved out from his mum’s house and in with Harry to give the couple space and so they would have plenty of room for his little sis while he focused on uni classes and competitions. 

Harry invited them over every single week for dinner, they all found the time for at least one meal together somewhere, even as Eggsy was prepping for his next turn in the Olympics.

 

Then while Harry was at a qualifying meet with Eggsy, Lancelot was sent out on a routine rescue mission, and they lost contact with the agent.

When Harry felt the pull of one of his priests suffering, dying, stabbed straight through the heart, it enraged him and his full aspect came over him, demanding blood and vengeance. He immediately abandoned his corporeal form, transported himself to the agent’s side and brought him straight home to Merlin, who knew exactly what to do. The next moment Harry had gone back and spilled every drop of their blood. 

After Lee, Harry was long since through with having any mercy for those who would hurt his own. Valentine, Gazelle, their cronies, he followed the chain of command down the line, uncovered the most disgusting plot imaginable, and systematically wiped them off of the face of the earth. When his rage finally banked and he returned to himself over a day later, he was standing in a remote mountain bunker covered in blood, having opened the veins of the last person who was involved in this plot. 

His aspect receded and he was able to calm down and take stock of things. With the data he looked at, they had only recently started getting the wheels of the plot turning, there hadn’t been too many people on board with it yet, and that was just how Harry liked it. He sent everything on to Merlin, and a moment later his glasses remotely activated.

 

“Finally. Can you actually hear me now Harry?”

“Yes, I hear you Merlin. Lancelot?”

“Survived, barely, but alive. Strangest thing, he swears he remembers you teleporting into the cabin, and that you were surrounded by a glowing, red haze.”

“People see strange things on the verge of death.”

“Aye they do, however, his instantaneous travel from Colombia to London, and then your tracker ending up globe hopping for nearly a day before landing in Siberia, is a far harder thing to explain, and I would take it as a personal kindness if you Never. Did it. Again.”

“Apologies Merlin, I was not thinking clearly at the time.”

“Obviously. Now I suggest you get back, your boy is worried about you.”

“I could really use a ride, I’m a bit tired after my...episode.” Teleportation could be instantaneous, but so much of it in such a short amount of time, he was bound to be feeling it in the morning.

“You’ve gorged on your element for the past twenty-four hours, have made an utter nightmare of a mess for me to try to clean up and explain away in a rational manner, and you want me to give you a  _ ride _ ? I should make you fucking  _ walk. _ But instead I’ll give you a choice, Harry. Either you get the fuck out of there right now and we erase every last byte of data of this conversation, or a plane will arrive in three hours time and you can have an excuse ready for Arthur as to why you went rogue, and exactly how you saved Lancelot on a mission you didn’t even know he was on. Your choice.”

Harry sighed heavily. “I really should just take up the mantle and be done with it one of these days shouldn’t I?”

“Thought you were saving it for your True Devout.”

“I am, but she’s currently only a year old, and I know we have been hiring younger these days, but that’s a bit extreme even for me.”

“Ha fucking ha, you’re hilarious Harry. Now get to your boy’s gymnastics thing so I can salt and burn all of these files, pick you up on satellite imaging, and blame your lack of contact on reception dead zones.”

“Yes Merlin.” 

A single concentrated moment of effort later, Harry rematerialized in the entryway of the hotel room where he and Eggsy were staying, and quickly ducked into the bathroom and started the shower.

At that time of day the boy should be at dinner or with his team. It was the first time he hadn’t given any warning or explanation to Eggsy when he’d had to take off suddenly, and he hoped that the lad wouldn’t be too terribly angry with him.

Apparently he hadn’t taken enough of a look around the room, because suddenly Eggsy was right behind him as he undressed, and Harry was still very much covered with blood.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I wrote this story solely so I could make that pun. :) this exists int he exact same universe as my Sherlock story To Protect And Serve.


End file.
